BELDT'S AQUARIUM, ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI 
2 
LET US HELP YOU SUCCEED WITH YOUR POOL AND 
AQUARIUM PROBLEMS 
We again present you with our catalog and 
we wish to take this opportunity to thank 
you for having made possible for us to have 
been of service to you. In this catalog you 
will find the greatest value of aquatic supplies 
ever offered to the fancier. We realize that 
many fanciers are confronted with problems 
hard to understand when they begin setting 
up an aquarium or starting a lily pool and 
we also realize that our efforts to make it as 
simple as possible to understand and give as 
much necessary information as is required, 
has made many fanciers life-long devotees to 
this hobby. I want to especially say thanks to 
many of the old fanciers who have continually 
favored us with their orders for the last nine¬ 
teen years. In checking the mailing list for 
1939 I found many cards dating back to 1920 
and it gives me great pleasure to have shared 
this hobby with you for so many years. I 
wish it were possible for me to talk to you 
personally and go back to the days when a 
pair of baby scalare sold for $25.00; when a 
pair of guppy was worth $1.00 of any man’s 
money. Many of the old fanciers had real 
problems; there was no such thing as a ther¬ 
mostatic controlled heater, the Railway Ex¬ 
press Agency did not know the difference 
between a can of tropical fish and a can of 
oysters, with the result that it was next to a 
miracle when a shipment reached the fancier 
100 per cent alive. 
About fifteen years ago we used a blue col¬ 
ored double can for winter shipments, with 
printed directions on the can plainly stating 
the contents and care in large type. So when 
we received a letter from Denver in which the 
customer advised us that the can was packed 
in ice we were greatly surprised. The Express 
messenger, seeing the blue can, thought it con¬ 
tained oysters and quickly got a hold of an 
empty can, put the tropical fish can inside and 
filled the container with crushed ice. The 
insulation, however, kept the water tempera¬ 
ture in the inside container from getting too 
cold, and the fish were still alive. Another 
letter came from Salt Lake City, Utah, the 
Express Agent wrote, "We have been advised 
by the Express Messenger that when he in¬ 
spected a shipment on his run between this 
city and Seattle of two cans marked 'tropical 
fish’ that when he looked inside the can they 
were found to be empty, only water in them. 
We made delivery of these two cans of water 
to the consignee in Seattle. We were expecting 
the consignee to put in a claim and inasmuch 
as he has not complained after two weeks, we 
are writing this letter to ascertain whether you 
shipped just some kind of special water.” For 
the reader’s information, the can contained 
glass fish, known as ambasis lala. The thing 
about this case which affected my laughing 
muscles was the fact that the messenger sealed 
the cans and his company collected the express 
charges thinking they put one over on some¬ 
body. 
Frequently, I have been asked how I be¬ 
came interested in the aquarium hobby. 
I could not give you any other answer than 
that I must have been born that way, for 
when I was three years old I used to bring 
home tadpoles which I collected in tin cans 
at the neighborhood cow pasture pond. That 
was 41 years ago and I am as enthusiastic 
today as I was then. 
There is something about -water, besides a 
leaky roof, which interests most everyone. 
When we go on a picnic we preferably stop 
near a spring, a stream or lake to eat our 
lunch and to relax, and to me the greatest 
relaxation is the aquarium. Our present social 
life in large cities does not permit us to follow 
the woodland path to the old fishing hole 
whenever we feel like it, so we have found a 
means to produce a bit of nature in the living 
room, where we can relax and enjoy it. 
If there is another means of reproducing 
so complete a bit of nature in such a small 
space as an aquarium so perfectly balanced 
and complete that does not have the appear¬ 
ance of being artificially created as when you 
look at the inside of a well-planted aquarium, 
I do not know of it. An aquarium is an 
enjoyment to the entire family and its greatest 
value is the fact that it does its share in mak¬ 
ing home life more interesting and educa¬ 
tional for the entire family. In a home where 
there are no children or pets, there is some¬ 
thing lacking. This something is the funda¬ 
mental interest in nature which makes the 
whole world akin. Where there are aquarium 
clubs the millionaire and the factory worker 
rub elbows, discussing their problems. 
The same applies to the flower hobby. We 
all love to share our hobbies with others and 
we are proud when visitors stop to look at our 
garden and share our pleasures with us even 
though they may be perfect strangers. It is 
this humble spirit which has persisted through 
the ages which disregards social perplexities 
of life on which rests the foundation of happi¬ 
ness. The lily pool affords a great deal of 
pleasure. Water gardening is very simple. 
Do not fail to read our directions on page 
30, for it contains necessary information to 
set up a balanced aquarium as well as the 
complete information contained on pages 34 
to 37 for successful water gardening. 
We are more able than ever to supply your 
needs. Our plant near the St. Louis Airport 
is able to produce all of our fancy fish, aquatic 
OTTO C. BELDT 
plants and tropical water lilies, etc. These 
things are shipped to you direct from the 
producer, insuring high quality and low 
prices. There is no middle man’s profit. Sev¬ 
eral years ago we secured 52 acres of low¬ 
lands about 70 miles from St. Louis with 
natural ponds which were converted to the 
use of growing hardy water lilies and other 
hardy aquatics to supply the ever increasing 
demand. 
May we have again the pleasure of supply¬ 
ing your requirements and say again, "Thanks 
for the orders you have given us in the past.” 
Sincerely yours, 
An average 
order for tropi¬ 
cal or goldfish 
weighs from 10 
to 20 lbs. In 
order that you 
may determine 
express or par¬ 
cel post rates 
from St. Louis 
we are listing 
below 5 lb. par¬ 
cel post rates 
and 20 lb. ex¬ 
press rates. 
Approximate Parcel Post Rates on 5-Lb. Packages 
Local 1st and 3rd Zone 4th Zone 5th Zone 6th Zone 7th Zone 
50 2nd Zone 150 to 300 300 to 600 600 to 1000 1000 to 1400 1400 to 1800 
miles 50 to 150 miles miles miles miles miles 
9c miles 17c 24c 33c 40c 50c 
13c 
Approximate Express Rates on 20-Lb. Cans Live Fish 
Second Zone Third Zone Fourth Zone Fifth Zone Sixth Zone Seventh Zone 
20 lb.—38c 20 lb.—69c 20 lb.—84c 20 lb.—$1.23 20 lb.—$1.82 20 lb.—$2.26 
8th Zone 
over 1800 
miles 
59c 
